Third day in El Nido: Tour C - dubbed as the best island hopping tour because it includes the most beautiful sites in this part of Palawan. It's also the farthest and the most dangerous because of unpredictable waves. So naturally, it's the most expensive (Php1,400/pax). Despite that and the gloomy morning, Toto and I had a good hunch about Tour C :)

Kuya Victor! :)

But it was already past 9am and our tour boat hadn't arrived yet. We were all getting impatient because the weather forecast said we'd experience a good amount of sun in the morning but not so much in the afternoon. Our boatmen received a few half-meant cusses here and there when they arrived to pick us up, and after about twenty minutes of the commotion we were finally off to paradise!

Hidden Beach

The tardiness of our boat was instantly forgotten the moment it docked at the 'entrance' of the Hidden Beach, our first stop of the day. Wow, just WOW. Toto and I were impressed with the limestone islets that seem to serve as gates to something magical.

Toto and I immediately dived into the waters because we wanted to be the first to see what's hidden behind the islets and take pictures of whatever it is in its most natural state, i.e. no heads bobbing out of the water; no extra water ripples from clumsy swimmers because the sky was already providing that with a small amount of rain - thanks very much; no orange life vests to destroy the color balance and all that shizz. But alas, we couldn't have the place all to ourselves for too long. But we didn't want to be selfish anyway because this beauty is meant to be shared! And besides, people add some character to photos ;)

It was high tide so the guests were discouraged to swim through a small hole/cave to reach the beach area (the short route). So all of us took the longer way in, which I think was actually better because we got to swim against the strong undercurrent, yay! YOLO, right?! *cringes at myself for using that word*

Anyhoo, at least we got to use our rented snorkeling gears (which, by the way, is a complete ripoff at Php150/day) for some underwater shots. Methinks that Toto's facial expression in below picture is far more interesting than what's underneath the waters of this site. Close to zero corals in the area, a lonely school of tiny fish, and...that's about it!

But even before this trip, Toto and I already knew that El Nido's charm lies in what's above the water. Enchanting limestone rocks, turquoise water and a small strip of white sand beach to provide the perfect Survivor feels for you :) And Hidden Beach is just the right place for that!

happy kid

movie scene levels!

Matinloc Shrine

Matinloc Shrine provided a different kind of experience. If we had to swim to reach the Hidden Beach, now we had to hike a bit to see this glorious scenery:

Lovely site but mosquito-infested! So do not forget to apply insect repellent. And be careful because the rocks are really sharp, like deadly sharp. But do not let this discourage you from reaching the top because the rewards are awesome! (Now I sound like a VO in a motivational Youtube vid...)

made new friends, yay! ♥

Star Beach

Ninety-nine percent of El Nido stuff on the internet is focused on lagoons and all kinds of beaches (hidden, twin, secret). But one of El Nido's underrated treasures is the Star Beach. It has got to be one of our favorites among the sites included in the island hopping tours because it's...different. Kind of scary, really, because of the HUGE limestone facade of Tapiutan island where Star Beach is. It made me feel so small and vulnerable. There was actually one point during our stay here when I imagined being swallowed by all these natural mega-monsters surrounding me. That was Star Beach's weird effect on me.

And there's a shallow beach area on the island where people could swim and sunbathe. It was a pity though that our time here was limited, something to do with TAO Philippines ownership (not really sure) and the low tide. Our boat actually got stuck while we were on our way out.

Oh, before I forget, this was where we had a very sumptuous lunch! ♥ Love the effort that our boatmen poured into making the food look like pieces of art, which we all ravished in less than ten minutes. Oops!

Cadlao Lagoon

Even before the tour started, our guides already warned us that going to the Secret Beach might not be possible due to the strong waves that day. And quite frankly, Toto and I couldn't be bothered because after almost two days of island hopping, we thought we needed a break from all these limestone cliffs and pristine beaches. Nothing wrong with that, hey! But we really wanted to maximize the rent we shelled out for the snorkeling gears because so far, El Nido's underwater sites had been lackluster.

So we were genuinely happy to be snorkeling in Cadlao Lagoon (originally part of Tour D) instead of swimming through a tiny hole to reach a secret beach. The super strong undercurrent didn't deter us from enjoying the sights underwater :) Pardon the shitty waterproof camera, but the corals look better in person :)

Toto freediving ♥

Helicopter Island

This island was the perfect place to end our island hopping tour. I actually just sat on the beach and quietly appreciated the serenity of the island. I read somewhere that there's a good snorkeling site in the area but we didn't bother putting on our snorkeling gears anymore, quota na ako sa Cadlao Lagoon! I purposely stationed myself away from the crowd and silently ate my Php50-ice cream (yes, there were hawkers!).

Ah, there really is beauty in doing nothing ;)

After an 8-hour tour around five sites, I could now understand why a lot of people like Tour C the most. Picturesque limestone cliffs, white sand beaches, and crystal clear waters - everything you'll ever need in a perfect tropical holiday!